December 6, 2006

Says O’Neil Whyte of Sweet Chef Southern Styles Bakery in Harlem, "This will be better for people’s health, but we’d like to know where to go from here." So you can't cook with Crisco anymore? That's crazy! Is there no respect for tradition? Of all the elitist regulations, this one takes the cake. And the pie crust.

(I know there's a new Crisco without trans fat. It's got more saturated fat instead. How long before we find out that the solution is worse than the problem?)

Well, look at what happened with the manufacture of all of the "low-fat" diet products on the market? It almost always has more chemical products to hold the product together and at least twice the sugar. SUGAR! You are better off having two normal cookies than 4 low or non-fat. And it will be more satisfying and you will eat less.

It's going to cost businesses in this city a lot of time and money (and taste?) and not add one iota to the health and well being of the residents.

Ann, Transfat was supposed to be better for you than saturated fat which is why it was introduced to replace saturated fat. Now it's worse than saturated fat and saturated fat is replacing the trans fat which replaced saturated fat.

Fried chicken in fresh rendered lard is hard to beat. That said, I can't do any preaching about the evils of processed sugar and trans fats. I think most of us attempt moderation at least some of the time.

Think of the economic opportunities...smuggling in Crisco...the whispers on the street corner....got the transfats here...real stuff. The underground restaurants still cooking with transfats. Will there be a code word for it in Zagat's reviews?

Again a self-appointed public "advocate" has enacted an onerous law by bypassing the democratic process. I can't wait till the muttawa hit the streets and kitchens looking for naughty fats and cigarettes. Public beatings are next.

Phd9 said: "I think I'll head down to the corner and buy a rock to celebrate. "

I laughed at that but I am not sure why.

Patca:

You are almost always right. Why do Americans seem willing to accept dictates from rich liberals like Bloomberg? If a right-winger like Pat Buchanan were mayor and he tried this, they'd be storming city hall with pitchforks. It's one of the mysteries of life I guess.

What bothers me about this whole deal is that it seems less like a ban and more like a bandwagon. This is the NYC government trying to pick up an easy win, catering to the Someone Should Do Something About All The Problems crowd.

Anyone who remembers the MTBE debacle knows everything they need to know about government regulations on additives.

"How long before we find out that the solution is worse than the problem"

"What was good is bad, then it's good again..."

Well, here's the obligatory Woody Allen reference:

"Dr. Melik: You mean there was no deep fat? No steak or cream pies or... hot fudge? Dr. Aragon: [chuckling] Those were thought to be unhealthy... precisely the opposite of what we now know to be true. Dr. Melik: Incredible!"

This is a way to cause a "need" to increase government subsidies of....something. Soybean and other plant oils (what transfat is made of)? Food stamps (bread products are now more expensive)? Something else?